Last year there was a significant push to pass a medical cannabis bill thru the Republican controlled Legislature in Kentucky. The bill was successfully stopped by some prominent Republican legislators. Shortly afterwards one of these legislators, a leader of the group, received an award of appreciation from the Alcohol Industry for his support.

We should not be surprised at this as it is the core reason Republican controlled legislatures across the country hem and haw and do their best to slow and if possible, stop cannabis legalization.

Alcohol use drops by 7% in easy access legal states and it is not just the Alcohol Industry. The Pharmaceutical Industry also has a stake in keeping cannabis illegal. Many patients who switch to cannabis give up their medicines finding then no longer necessary. Veterans, for example, who stop following the VA regimen for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and switch to cannabis, give up an average of 8 pills when they do.

When viewed in this light, it is easy to see why legislators, who are financially supported by these industries, are reluctant to pass any bills legalizing the use of cannabis.

Here in Michigan we see the Republican controlled legislature doing just that with the minimum wage ballot initiative, passing a bill to nullify the ballot initiative before the election. If the Legislature can pass a bill before the election and keep recreational legalization off the ballot they can bring legalization to a crawl as they have done with medical cannabis legalization over the last ten years.

Should Republican legislators manage to stall legalization with their plan, Industry Appreciation Awards will be appearing on the shelves of a Legislators bookcase near you!